Tourneys with Large Blinds

I'm really struggling with the blind format used in the NL tournaments at my local casino and would appreciate some advice.

My tournament play in general is improving, but this is in tournaments with low and slowly growing blinds (Ex: 3000 in starting chips and first few rounds of blinds as follows: 5/10, 10/20, 35/50...), and relatively few players (15-25). At the casino, there are typically 100 people, you start with 1500 in chips, and the first few rounds of blinds are 25/50, 50/100, 100/200, 200/400. As you can see, if you play conservatively and tight (which I generally do), you can be in trouble pretty quickly by having few chips relative to the blinds. The tables are also typically very aggressive right out of the chute.

The question is, how do I adjust my game in this situation? When I've decided to simply play aggressively and bluff more early on, it seems that someone is always coming over the top of me. Everyone is quickly establishing table dominance. In any case, it doesn't seem to be as easy as simply playing looser and/or more aggressively. Without the cards to back it up, I seem to just lose chips.

I am certainly trying to limit my play to the tournaments in which I'm successful, but I'd like to improve my play in the casino tourneys as well.

I would appreciate any advice.

Thanks!

To get some experience with this type of format, try the turbo tournaments. The blinds go up quickly like your casino tournament and if you don't win a couple pots early you find yourself in a world of hurt quickly. They have some $1.75 turbo tournies at Poker Stars now, so this is a great way to get some experience with this type of format inexpensively.

I agree with Grumbar here, the turbo sit and go games that pokerstars offers has improved my playin these type of situations. What I typically do in these turbo games is play tight for the first couple rounds of blinds and capitalize on hands that i am in the BB or have a monster hand such as KK or AA. Later, when the blinds start to get hefty pay attention to how your opponents have been playing and pick your spots. Play your opponents hands more than yours. When the blinds get gigantic (such as winning some blinds could very well double up your chip stack), again pick your spots and start to steal some blinds. If some reraises your raise that probably means they have a great hand and you should lay it down unless you feel confident. I just came in 2nd in my 45 man $6 turbo sit n go. I recommend playing these as they will improve your playing strategy since the blinds in your casino tournies increase rather rapidly. Good luck to ya man.

Yappy

Thanks for the suggestion, guys. I'll give it a shot!

there are suckouts galore in those tourneys though.

I'm reading "Hold'em Poker for Advanced Players" and I can't figure out the meaning of the following concept (maybe, due to my being a foreigner). "... if you hold A spade K spade the flop is 7 club 6 spade 2 diamond and you don't bet the flop after it is checked to you to you be prepared to bet the turn not only if an ace or king hits, but also as a bluff if a Q or perhaps a J hits. If a small card hits and it is checked to you don't bet in a loose game.... But in a tight game this bet may be correct. By the way, this play would be even stronger if your hand is QJ (since they fear AK). You will now have six legitimate cards to bet - your pair cards, and eight cards to bluff with". Please, can anyone explain to me word-by-word the meaning of the text beginning with "By the way" till the end? I'd appreciate that a lot.